Between the Shelves
by Shirley Horney
Summary: All Evelyn Stroker wanted was a decent job to be able to live an ordinary life with few thrills. Except one day between the shelves of Gotham Library she meets the Joker and her life turns into chaos.


My birth was unfortunate to my parents whose relationship didn't even get past a month. My mother named me after my grandmother Evelyn and my mother did the best she could with now two girls: Evelyn Stroker and Lisa Bare whose father was as notorious as mine. My mother always called me lucky because I seemed to do everything right unlike my sister who seemed to do everything wrong. After I graduated from high school I joined Lisa in Gotham City.

For two years I've been living with my stepsister Lisa Bare and she was a nightmare just like our mother. Lisa came to Gotham about three years ago and she made a living off of amateur nights until she became a regular under the stage name Goldie; even though she was a brunette like me she bleached her hair blond and never went back.

Unfortunately for me she brought work home with her. And then on one crazy night and one lap dance later she hooked Ben Dudfer who owned Crazy 8's Bar. Ben was a nice guy, he was too nice and Lisa saw that. She had Ben wrapped around her little finger in no time. She even had Ben send a little bit of money to our mother, but she did get me a job as a barmaid. For those two years of my ass being pinched I finally got a job that had some decency and my beautiful buttock returned from purple polka dots to its natural creamy hue.

When I started at the Gotham Library I saved up my money and sometimes I pick-pocketed some of the drunks Lisa brought home. After two months I had enough money to get a place of my own. It was a small dump and the view was a brick wall but it was my own. It wasn't in the best part of Gotham City but most of my life was never in the best part. The crime in Gotham City was never safe to begin with but now it felt like a palace for criminals. The sirens were a regular noise and I got so used to it that when it was quiet I had to turn on the TV and there would be the Joker in the news with his homicidal antics.

My life after three months at this job had become cut and dry and I liked it. My chaotic life was over, or at least far away from me. I still found myself going to Ben's bar to visit Lisa. One night Ben and her were sitting in the big booth and she was wearing her new red fur coat and hugging onto Ben as she gulped down champagne.

"Hey, baby sister." She called to me. "I miss you and I have a surprise for you." She showed me her hand and I noticed the big rock and she winked at me. "Who would have thought there was a prince charming out there?" She gave Ben a kiss and then her eyes shined on me. "So you miss me, yet?" She asked.

I simply smiled.

"Eve, you know what helped me when I first moved out. I bought a fern. A fern always makes a great friend. And they always brighten up the darkest corners in any room."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "She needs a man." Lisa said flatly. "Sis, you wanna get me another one. Ben, I really don't like that new waitress, like where is she now? Baby, she's just not good."

So I took Ben's advice and I bought a fern and I hung it up in my bedroom. I also took Lisa's advice and there were always men at the bar and then I met my neighbor who lived above me Greg Chase. I found out later that it wasn't his mother that kicked him out when he was drinking but his wife. If I was a good girl, I shouldn't have let him in, but having a fern didn't mean great company.

My steady life was gonna change. It happened on a Thursday afternoon. My eyes were dry and numb from the alphabet and I decided to go shelve the books on Gotham's history. It was the area of the library where most of the books were covered in dust and the lighting was really bad. It really discouraged readers and I guess all of Gotham's history was now available on the Internet.

I kicked off my heels and flipped through some of Gotham's colorful past even though it was photographed in black and white.

Then I felt a finger jab me. "Excuse me, Miss." He hissed at me.

The book fell onto the floor as I stood up and looked at the man. He was wearing a hat that shaded his face.

A smile crept on his face as he moved closer to me, pushing me into the bookshelf.

He held out a piece of paper. "I need help." He paused. "I can't find this book." His dark mouth pouted at me.

I took the paper and examined the title. My eyes rose to him and then the light caught his face and I noticed the scares protruding from his lips.

Immediately my eyes raced back onto the paper. "This book is in archives. I'll show you."

"Thanks, you've been a doll. You know it's so dark and quiet here. You can't even hear a mouse squeak." He pushed me closer into the shelf. He breathed in and licked his lips and the scars gleamed at me. "I love the silence before the storm." He tilted his head and then I noticed his dark eyes.

My breath stopped short and I couldn't take my eyes off of him, it was the Joker. My hands rose to my face.

"You see something of interest, Beauty?" His gloved hand touched my cheek. "Maybe it's something that you like." The Joker giggled at me as his hand went around my throat.

My eyes strained to see passed him but I knew I was alone. My head kept saying it's okay he only wants a book, smile and help him. My eyes flashed back onto the crumbled paper in his hand.

"I'll take you to archives." I offered.

"Yes." He released me and my body sank.

Then I remembered my shoes.

"Looking for these?" He asked as he laughed.

"Yes." I said as I reached for them.

"Don't trouble yourself, Miss." He licked his lips. "Let me be a gentle-man I always like the challenge."

He kicked the stool over. "Please." He smiled.

I did as he told me and he took my leg in his grasp. "Fishnet, I like that." He gave my leg a squeeze as he placed the first shoe on. Then I gave him my other foot and he placed the other shoe on and held my leg.

"You know, Beautiful, it never feels right being a gentle-man. It just feels like a lot of waiting around." His hand went to my knee.

"I'll show you were the book is." I told him as I jerked my leg back and he held on.

"I'm not done, Princess." He squeezed my leg hard. "You women play so hard to get. You always want the bad guy. And Princess, I'm as bad as they get." He glinted his yellow teeth at me. "But then you girls like a man that cries." He tried frowning at me. "Unfortunately, I'm a bit challenged." He smirked as his hand went up to my thigh.

My temper got the better of me and I slapped him hard, hard enough so his hat went flying off. He grabbed me by the neck and threw me against the shelf. He growled at me as his tongue went over his lips. I tried reaching for a heavy book from the shelf.

He laughed as he caught my hand. "Well, hello Beautiful." He paused to lick his lips. "I want you to know that I always rise." He pressed against me so that I could feel that his dick was hard. "To the occasion." He giggled. "Now what should I do with you? Think, think, think." An evil grin spread across his face. "First, let's put the book down." He squeezed my wrist till I let the book drop. "Nice job pussy cat. Now what else?" He held my arm and gathered up the other one and pinned it behind me. I winced showing that it hurt. He smiled catching my pain. "It's just so silent in here. The possibilities are endless." He breathed heavily. "I always love a screamer. It sort of let's you know that you're wanted." He laughed.

"I thought you wanted the book." I said trying to save myself.

"Oh yeah. I knew I was here for something."

"I'll show you where the book is."

"Yes." He said as he brushed the paper across my cheek. "You need this?"

"I need my hands."

"You most certainly do." He released my hands. "Did you still need the paper?"

"Yes, please."

He squeezed my breast hard with the paper crackling with each squeeze and he laughed.

"Oooh, Very nice." He commented as he licked his lips.

"Please."

"I don't mind if I do." He whispered in my ear as he squeezed my breast again. "You're so soft. I could almost lose myself." He paused to lick his lips. "Did you still want the paper?" His nose pressed against my neck. "You smell so lovely."

The Joker's peppermint scent left me feeling dizzy. My head fell back and then I felt his other hand pulling up my skirt. I took one more deep breath and I ripped the paper from his hand.

"I got it." I smiled.

He backed away and laughed.

"Don't forget your hat." I told him. "I'll get you the book."

He grabbed me and shined the blade in my eyes.

"Don't even think about running away or trying anything. If you behave like a good girl." He pulled my ponytail. "Then I'll treat you good. But if you try anything Princess, I'll make you scream. Most girls like to be good. Especially pretty girls who have a pretty face. And you, Beautiful have a pretty face."

"Good. I'll be good." I managed a smile and tried to keep my voice steady.

He put both of his arms around me. "People tend to make me into a monster and like everyone I have a real sentimental side." He held the button of my blouse. "I like souvenirs." He cut it off. "Pick up my hat. Nice and slow, girly. That's right. It seems to me like you've been in this position before." He took the hat from me.

"Take me to the book."

As I walked to the archives I hoped that I would run into anybody. I didn't want to go into archives with him. In there, I thought nobody would hear me scream or even see me.

He took a seat and watched me. My eyes quickly raced over the books, I looked back at him and he winked at me. My eyes rushed back to the books and my body I could feel was becoming my worst enemy. My breasts were hard-up against the black lace as if they were looking for his attention.

My eyes spotted the book and I swallowed hard, hoping that my nipples didn't perk up. I squeezed the book against them.

He smiled as he saw me coming and he held out his hand for the book. I gave it to him and went back to the shelves and pretended to be shelving books.

"This is the only room up here?" He asked as he flipped through the book.

"Yes."

"Good." He smiled as he went back to flipping through the pages as he hummed a circus tune. He ripped out a page and tossed the book on the floor. "I'm done." He smiled. "Ugh."

I picked up the book.

"I guess playtime is over for me. Work, work, work. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work I go." He whistled.

I went back to pretending, hoping that he was done with me. He grabbed my wrist and gave me a hard slap across the face as he pushed me against the wall. My cheek burned as his eyes danced over me. My eyes were too angry and too scared to cry.

"Before I go to work. What about a kiss? One kiss?" He licked his lips as he trailed the knife down to my blouse and he scooped the blouse up and peeked down at my breasts. "Nice." He smiled at me.

"You are so good. Good to me. It breaks my heart to leave you all alone but daddy's got to bring home the bacon." He licked his lips. "Close your eyes." I closed my eyes. "Good. Lick your lips, nice and slow. Good."

I obeyed and I just hoped that was all that he wanted was a kiss. I swallowed hard and then he placed his broken lips on me as his teeth pulled at my lips.

"Eve." Brenda's voice rang over the archive room.

He laughed.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Joe Ker, I'm Eve's boyfriend." He quickly left.

For once I was happy to see that old frog of a woman, Brenda.

"Eve, you're still at work. I don't want to catch you again. You understand?"

I wiped my mouth and I was about to blurt out the Joker, but my tongue spitted out the words, "Yeah, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

On my way home I stopped at the bar and found my sister talking to the bartender.

She was already drunk. She didn't even notice me; she was too wrapped up in talking about her problems. The bartender got me my drink and I relaxed with a cigarette even though I did quit for about a month. I looked across at my hunched self and I laughed as I thought about the Joker. I could feel something was starting in my head. I looked down at the missing button and I knew it was wrong of me to be thinking of the Joker so loosely as a plaything. I mean he would have sliced me up because I would have been his plaything. Then I heard my mother's advice that a little love can change a man no matter how bad he is. My mother always fell in love with the guy who treated her the worst. She always referred to them as her sick puppies.

"What are you laughing at?" my sister asked.

I looked at her and jumped because her face was a mess of runny mascara and her lips were covered in a garish hue of red. She had been crying. "Nothing."

"Eve, the most god awful thing happened to me today."

"What?"

"Ben dumped her." The bartender told me as he moved onto another customer.

"That's right." She shook her head and wiped away the mascara. "I'll be all right." She twisted the Kleenex. "Look at me." She looked at herself in the dark mirror. "I'm a freak. Nobody's gonna want me now. Look, I look like the Joker."

"He'll come around." I reassured her.

"Maybe. I hope so. You think Ben is really nice? You think he's the one?"

"Yeah."

"I know he's too good for me." She blurted out with more tears.

"Lisa, you know that's not true." I lied to her. "You two are meant for each other. He'll come back."

"Yeah, I guess so." She gulped down her drink and ordered another one.

Lisa was just getting started and she knew what she was doing. She was going to make a fool out of herself at his bar and she knew he'd come and get her and everything would go back to normal.

A couple of guys sat beside her. She took out her makeup case and eyed them up as she applied a new coat of red lipstick. Then she cleaned up the black mascara, and the final touch was undoing two buttons of her shirt and she was back to the old Lisa.

I tagged down the bartender. "Is Ben in?"

"He just got here."

"Tell him to come get her."

"I already did. I don't mean to say this, but she's a real piece of work."

"Tell me about it."

After a few more drinks my crazy sister started her free lap dance. Ben finally appeared and Lisa fought with him as he put a stop to the lap dance.

"I got talent! I need to show it!" She screamed followed by a hysterical fit of laughter as Ben dragged her out.

I pulled myself up from the barstool and took a long walk home. The liquor was giving me giggles as I thought about the Joker. Then it dawned on me that he was at the library because he was scoping out the bank beside it and there must have been something in that book. I could go to the cops I told myself but the Joker would find me.

Out of a dark alley Gary found me, and before I could bat him off his lips were on me.

"You're so beautiful." He said. He wasted no time in getting his hand underneath my blouse.

"She'd kicked you out again?"

"Maybe." He nibbled at my neck.

"Gary." I pushed him off.

"Come on, Eve." He held me like I was a piece of meat. "You're one sexy librarian."

"Go home." I told him as I unlocked the door.

"You know I can't."

"Crawl through the window."

"Eve, you know how she is. Come on." He grabbed my hand and gently tugged me. "Will you let me kiss you?" He asked as his lips kissed my hand. I could feel my knees buckling as his rough face itched my hand. I let him kiss me, and the kiss felt warm and good in a sloppy kind of way.

We walked up the stairs to the second floor. I quickly got the door open and like usual I fell onto the hanging coats and he was on top of me.

"Excuse me." Followed by a laugh.

I pushed Gary off. My eyes searched the dark kitchen and the hallway light illuminated the black shoes, colorful socks and the purple pant legs.

"What is it?" Gary asked.

"No." I flicked on the kitchen light and there was the Joker this time with the paint on his face.

"Gary, the question is who is it?" He laughed as his henchmen grabbed Gary.

"Bravo." The clown clapped his hands and I sank into the wall. "What a show." The Joker smiled and flicked his knife. I tugged my skirt down. "Grab her." The Joker said flatly.

A henchman grabbed me and pulled my arms back enough to make me wince.

"A tisket. A tasket. A little mouse in a basket." He said as he came up to me. "You know something isn't right." He held up my button. "You know, Gary, it really isn't nice to play with another cat's mouse."

"I didn't know that she had a boyfriend."

"Oh. Eck!" The Joker did a wicked smile. "That's too bad. That's really too bad for you."

"He's not my boyfriend."

The Joker touched his heart and walked over to me. "You break my heart. I told you to be good, Princess." He touched the blade to my cheek. I tried to be still so that I wouldn't be cut.

The blade moved upon my neck. "I was. I didn't tell anybody about you." I pleaded with him.

"What is a man to do when beauty is before him?" He licked his lips. "You know. This isn't right. Let me change the scene a bit. Mmm. What do I want? What do I want? What do I need?" His hand touched my waist and went down. "I think I have an idea." He giggled as he tore my skirt up to my thigh.

I let out a yelp and he pulled my hair. "Ah, that's better isn't it?" He slid the blade onto my cheek again. "I can feel it now."

"I didn't know. I only came to her because she likes a good time. She never said anything about a boyfriend. I'm so sorry. Please, I have a wife. I didn't know."

The Joker laid the blade on Gary's throat. "I'm not gonna cut you. I give you my word of honor." The Joker placed his blade away and then he took out his gun and shot him. "Ooooho."

I closed my eyes I didn't want to see Gary dead. I didn't want this to be happening. I struggled trying to get free but the henchman pulled my arms even further back.

"Get him out of here."

I swallowed hard and I opened my angry eyes on the Joker and he smiled devilishly at me.

"You know, Beautiful, that I've never been one for violence." He wiped the hair from my face. "Violence just happened upon me one day. Sort of like having a wet dream. You can't do anything about it." He laughed.

He looked around the apartment and smiled when he noticed the bed and then he looked back at me.

"All of you out."

"What about the girl?" He squeezed my arms tight.

"Leave her." The Joker turned around and took off his coat. "I hope you weren't in love with him. Love always hurts. Sometimes it kills you." He laughed hysterically.

The henchman let me go and I fell against the wall as the phone crashed to the floor. I watched the last henchman leave and then I looked back at the Joker who was removing his gloves. A recorded message came on: beep… "Please try your number again. This is a recording… beep."

I looked at the door and I ran for it but he pulled my hair. "Not a good idea, girly." He growled into my ear and then he ripped the phone out of the wall. He tossed me hard against the wall and he smacked me across my face. Then he squeezed my neck and I grasped for air.

"You're not upset about Gary are you? He really isn't anything to cry about. If he could he would have pimped you out. You realize that?"

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I think you know." He gave me a sloppy kiss and then he looked at me and brought the blade to my lips. "You have such beautiful lips. They're so moist and plump."

"Please don't hurt me. I didn't tell anybody about you."

"Sh, sh. I'm not gonna hurt you that wouldn't be fun for me." He hissed. "What about a smile, Princess?"

All I could do was shake my head.

"Smile for me." He yelled.

I gave him a smile; a really nice smile and then I kneed him. He went down. I raced for the door again and again he caught me and he knocked me down even harder.

"I like that. Nice and feisty." He yanked my hair. "I guess I won't keep you waiting any longer."

He held my blouse. "For these buttons." He cut each button off. "Pop, pop, pop, pop…."

I wasn't going to fight him. I was ready for him. I was ready as I was going to be. With both of his hands he slid off my blouse and I watched his dark eyes widen onto my white breasts tucked away behind the black lace. "Wowewowewow."

He turned me around humming and then he cut off the tight skirt and then he whistled when he saw my lacey panties. He took the blade and punched it into the wall and I jumped back.

My body bounced onto his body and he held me. One hand squeezed my breast as his thumb flicked at my nipple. His broken lips kissed my neck.

My head fell back onto him and I bit my lip. I knew the place where I was going that I wouldn't be able to return but it felt good with his hot breath trailing down my neck and onto my excited nipples. He turned me around.

He took the knife from the wall and held the bra straps. With each snip I breathed out an "Oh," as my hands covered up my breasts.

He punched the knife into the wall and I opened my eyes and watched him lick his lips as his hands pulled my hands away. My lips parted into a genuine smile.

"I got a present for you." He told me.

"What?"

He put my hands on his hard cock and I couldn't wait till he had it in me. I tugged at his dick hard and I liked how he grunted with each hard tug.

I licked my lips and I pulled at his greasy hair and his swollen lips smacked onto mine. I liked how I could feel his face paint smudging onto me.

My thumb rubbed the head of his penis roughly and he pushed his body hard against mine.

He tossed me onto the bed and he stood there with his tongue hanging out like a wild dog. I gave him a big wide smile.

He roughly pulled my ankle and then he indulged his mouth onto my sweet tits. His teeth pulling hard as he ripped off my panties. He licked his finger first and then he flicked my clit. I moaned and I tugged at his hard dick.

I watched him unzip his pants and there it was: Big and strong and loaded. He grabbed my hair and pulled me up and turned me around.

I wiggled my ass and he bit at it and then he plunged his dick into me. Sliding in and out as his finger was madly flicking me. I moaned and screamed with each new orgasm. Then I felt his load shoot into me and he gave me a couple last bangs.

I watched the Joker stand over me with his dark eyes contemplating me in his strange way.

He licked his finger. "Butterscotch."


End file.
